36

by Martin Berman-Gorvine

Fiction. Jewish Studies. According to ancient Jewish legend, there are "36 righteous ones," people who in every generation, unknown even to themselves, continually save the world through their good deeds. What if it were literally true? And what if they were being murdered one by one? Could this explain the existence of what theologians call "radical evil"--the Holocaust and other instances of genocide, the proliferation of nuclear weapons, the invention of "suicide bombing"? Join metaphysically minded detective Eric Lonnrot and the traumatized genocide survivor Nahum Applefeld as they race to solve these urgent questions.

259 pages, Paperback

First published March 30, 2012

Reviews

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed at the paper: http://www.thereportergroup.org/Artic...

[Holly Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

36 is based on the fascinating premise in Jewish mysticism that 36 righteous people justify the continued existence of the world. Martin sets out to ask the question of what would happen if the 36 were to be murdered. Or at least that's what I thought he was exploring.

As I got further into the book, I realized it was more a commentary on the human condition. Our capacity for love and good, fear and evil. The characters Lonnrot and Nahum start out on the same path, following Lonnrot's quest to find the 36 so he can warn them that they are in danger. The initial quest falls to pieces amid revelations about the men's histories, and each of them go on their own personal journeys.

This book is amazing. It's very detailed, well-written, and gripping. It's an alternate history that is both terrifying, and wildly like our own world. Or what we are heading for, at any rate.

[Martin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Comments based on advanced review copy. This book had the making of an interesting story; Jewish mysticism combined with a dystopian world post WWIII/clash of Islamic culture with western culture/ nuclear war. The author and editor, or perhaps lack of editor could not pull the story off. There was a lack of focus, and a failure to exploit the concept of Jewish mysticism related to the title. I was hoping for a conceptual follow-up to Chabon’s Yiddish Policeman’s Union, and instead feel that I read a book comprised of multiple story lines that were not successfully put together. An A for effort/concept and an F for execution.

[Mari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought-provoking read that makes you appreciate "the righteous" who live quietly among us.